


Talk

by EaSnowPw



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Tony survived snapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24803278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EaSnowPw/pseuds/EaSnowPw
Summary: "I was asked to talk to you," Stephen began before the portal even closed behind him.Tony scoffed, waving the holograms away. It was easy to deduce who had asked the other man to talk to him. Pepper made no secret of her new lover, Christine, who had mentioned Strange exactly once, but she probably had some influence on him. That easily explained his presence."About what?""It was mentioned that we might... share some of our trials."
Relationships: Christine Palmer/Pepper Potts, Tony Stark & Stephen Strange, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 12
Kudos: 125
Collections: Snow's ironstrange dump





	Talk

"I was asked to talk to you," Stephen began before the portal even closed behind him.

Tony scoffed, waving the holograms away. It was easy to deduce who had asked the other man to talk to him. Pepper made no secret of her new lover, Christine, who had mentioned Strange exactly once, but she probably had some influence on him. That easily explained his presence.

"About what?"

"It was mentioned that we might... share some of our trials."

Tony approached the other man with crossed arms and silently appraised him. He was wearing casual clothes for once, but his red jacket obviously clashed with the rest of the outfit. Despite the usual height difference, he seemed smaller for some reason.

"Tell Pepper that I'll come to bed more often. You can go." He waved a hand dismissively. He didn't want to talk, much less with this guy.

"I don't think that is what this is about..."

"Look, Thanos came, we won, I lost an arm, but I lived, so. You want my thanks? Thank you for saving my stupid life. We can move on now."

"You're angry with me," Stephen noticed evenly.

"Yes. No." Tony ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck, I don't know."

"It's understandable for you to feel... uprooted after such a big battle." The shorter man scoffed again. "To my understanding, you have been expecting him for some time, so I assume you don't know what to do with yourself right now."

"What would you know about that?" Tony asked, though with less bite than earlier.

"I... umm, after my first big battle, I went through something similar. I also didn't know what to do with myself for a while. I felt like the fight was over, so maybe I earned my rest, but I was also needed. I was bouncing between these two extremes. Fortunately, at Kamar Taj, I was among people who knew how to help me."

"I don't need help," Tony grumbled. Definitely not the type of help Strange had needed after Dormmamu.

"Mrs Stark seems to think otherwise."

"What could **you** even do? Your bedside manner is shit and you're a bigger mess than I am," Tony snapped.

That seemed to throw the sorcerer off balance. He frowned, thinking. How could Tony know all that? Oh. His hand instinctively moved to his chest, where the Time Stone used to hang. Right. Tony had, albeit briefly, wielded all the Stones.

"How many did you see?"

"Enough of them. Well, whatever, those you did, I think. And honestly? Not impressed."

Stephen tried to keep his facial expression even. He swallowed heavily.

"Why?"

"There was a lot more repetition than I expected and it took you like 1000 victories, you liar, before you found a way to keep me alive. Without blowing up our planet, though that was such an impressive fuckup that I'll let it slide."

The sorcerer nodded.

"I suppose a genius like you would have done better."

"Probably," Tony agreed easily. "But you? You just walked up to me, all big and mighty, and you've been a sorcerer for like what? 2 years? You talked big. I expected more... I don't know. Experience? But you're just winging it."

"Oh, please, like your job came with a manual and a training course in how to fly your suit!" Stephen retorted. "What was I supposed to do? Hide behind you and say I was scared?"

"Perhaps not act like you owned the place? That would be a good start. Or, I don't know? Take us back to Earth?"

"Ah, you didn't see all of them," Stephen assured him. "I did try that and you know what happened? You and Rogers were so busy arguing with each other that Thanos almost got all of us! Oh, but I tried this way many times, and after we somehow won, guess who got the gauntlet?"

Tony didn't answer, though he could hazard a guess.

"Thor was a mess," he admitted. "And you were too banged up to stop him."

"Exactly. So don't tell me how much better you can do, because you have no idea how many stupid variables I had to take into account! You're all so- so fucking idiotic I just wanted to toss everyone into a black hole and deal with Thanos myself! We could've won back on Titan, there was a chance, albeit slim, but Quill fucked that up every single fucking time!" Stephen snapped. "And now I just want to kill you myself because I saw you die so many times, Tony, it's not even funny anymore! I saw you cry and rage and every stupid thing in between. You begged me to let you see your daughter grow up! Where is she now?"

"Strange, calm down-"

"No! You need to understand that I saved you because you asked me to, because the world needs Tony-fucking-Stark, not Iron Man." Stephen took a deep breath. "There's a little girl upstairs for whom I would die and who misses her daddy terribly. I saved you because I didn't want her to sit through your funeral again."

Tony didn't answer for a few moments.

"Were you ever going to tell me that you caught feelings for me?" was what eventually came out of his mouth.

"No," came the resolute answer. "It's not about me and you clearly don't feel the same." Which stung, because it meant Tony had seen everything Stephen had to offer and found him lacking. He and Pepper had an open relationship, so that wouldn't get in the way. Tony just didn't like Stephen, plain and simple.

"That's-"

"Fine. It's fine. Go join your family for dinner before I lock you out of your own lab."

"Come with me?"

Stephen shook his head.

"I didn't see every possibility and I think I breezed through more than you did. They were just flashes," Tony admitted. "I don't know as much about you as you think. I saw how to hurt you, plenty of times, how to make you happy, but it was like watching a movie super fast. I know you want to be part of this family, so I'm offering you the entrance. Take it."

"I don't need your pity."

"How about meeting Morgan? Letting you be a part of her life?" Tony could tell that he was getting through to the other man. "I'm her father. I get to vote on that."

"Dinner?"

Tony laughed in victory, unaware of the other’s inner turmoil, and dragged Stephen upstairs.

* * *

Later that night, after Morgan was asleep and their lady friends were christening the bedroom (Tony said that, Stephen was sure they were doing each other's nails), the two men sat on a bench outside, enjoying the silence that came from a tiny house in the middle of nowhere.

"I forget, sometimes," Tony admitted. "I think I'm broken up with Pepper or can't remember Morgan. I can't put them through that."

"So you avoid them altogether," Stephen deduced.

"It's easier if they get used to it before they lose me, if I'm just not around rather than- I don't even know. A few days ago, I wanted to argue with Pepper for simply being here because I forgot we weren't divorced in this one. I stopped in time, but-"

"Tony..."

"I hated you because you seem to have it all together," he admitted. The sorcerer shifted to turn towards him, but Tony didn't meet his gaze. "You saw more and you're ok."

Stephen chuckled bitterly and dug into his pocket. He produced a bunched up piece of paper, which he handed to Tony.

"Light."

Friday turned on the light so her maker could read. Tony glanced at the other man, then did so, aloud. It was a short printed text.

"My name is Dr Stephen Strange. I'm a sorcerer, ex neurosurgeon. I live at the Sanctum. I am not an official Avenger. Wong is my friend. Christine, also my friend, is dating Pepper Stark. Morgan Stark, Tony Stark and Peter Parker are acquaintances. I no longer have the Time Stone." The paper ended with a shaky signature.

There was a moment of silence after that. Tony just stared at the few words that said so much about the other man. Eventually, he carefully folded the paper and handed it back. Stephen wordlessly returned it to his pocket.

"It doesn't get better, does it?"

"No." There was no use sugar coating it.

"Did you see this?"

"No."

"Really?"

"You dragged me out right after I heard you were out of the hospital."

"You looked like you were edging towards a panic attack."

"My body is still human," Stephen admitted. "It was getting overwhelmed."

"Still? Will you change? Turn into some weird magical sylph?"

"No. I just... find it occasionally limiting."

Tony nodded in understanding, then let silence take over again. Stephen didn't try to break it. Friday soon turned off the light and let them watch the stars, both alone and together at the same time. They could simply enjoy the world they had saved.

Stephen felt closer to Tony than before. Their shared experience had brought some familiarity and now they had someone who understood what they had been through. It was enough.

Tony, for the first time in way too long, didn't feel like he had to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Stephen had a different skillset, but the intent was similar. He figured their ladies had been right, after all. They definitely had things in common. His hand found Stephen's and gently covered it. A lot of things.

"I don't need your pity."

"I don't pity you," Tony replied gently. He really didn't. He understood.

The sorcerer relaxed, accepting the touch. It was a new beginning, one for which he was eager.


End file.
